Ops Insights #019 Learn to Communicate with Leaders
August 25, 2023 | Read Time: 4 minutes and Video Time: 6 minutes | Written by Jenny Kleintop
Happy Friday, so glad you are here and ready to build, grow, and accelerate your expertise. Today, we are diving into learning to communicate directly with leaders. As you advance in your career, the sooner you can acquire this skill set, the more valuable you will be.
When I went to work for my second nonprofit organization, I did it for two reasons:
To learn an entirely new CRM database, and
To report directly to the leader of the fundraising organization.
Why did I want to report directly to the leader? It was certainly out of my comfort zone.
I’m naturally introverted.
I prefer processes, details, and being in the weeds.
I tend to be long-winded and indirect.
Everything is the opposite of what a leader was. So why, again, did I want to report directly to the leader?
For some many reasons, such as:
To get comfortable communicating at this level.
To learn the ins and outs of communicating directly to leadership.
To become a better communicator myself.
To evolve and grow as a professional.
To become a better leader myself.
And that’s exactly what I did. I had an amazing leader whom I still stay in touch with after all these years.
Behavioral Styles
The first step is to understand different styles.
Have you taken one of those personality tests? The ones where you answer a bunch of questions, and it tells you your behavioral style? I’ve always been amazed at how accurate they are. To hear how I explained this in a recent workshop, watch this video clip.
Practice Targeted Communication
Take time to learn how to communicate directly and to the point.
Learn to craft three bullet points before going into a meeting. Provide the high-level bullet points and then have the back-up (data, visuals, and more intel) in case you are asked to elaborate on any of the points.
One trick I learned… if I am talking and, in my head, I am also constructing my next sentence already, then I’m talking too much. So, I’d teach myself to shorten my points and take a breath to let the leader chime in.
Enlist a peer, a friend, or a coach. Someone who will be objective and provide constructive feedback (hence why I didn’t say family members, they will be biased). Don’t be shy about asking for help; it’s how we learn, grow, and evolve. Just think, those leaders were not always leaders… they had to learn, grow, and evolve as well.
Find the win-win. Leaders want people around them who will solve problems. When someone brings up a problem, be the person to offer and communicate a solution. The leader gets the problem solved and you get to practice your communication... win-win.
Find Ways to Interact with Leaders
Go push yourself past your comfort zone and find opportunities to interact directly with leaders. Raise your hand to take on a project the leader brings to the table. Find ways to interact with leaders across divisions or departments. For example, do meet and greet meetings with the leaders of finance, marketing, communications, and IT. Look for opportunities to co-collaborate on projects or initiatives.
You can also find leaders outside your organization to interact with. LinkedIn is a great place to do just that - go comment on a leader's post and see how they respond. Find professional organizations to be a part of or join webinars and discussions and participate in the chat.
I had to learn the long way so I’d like to shorten your journey – don’t wait for someone else to create opportunities for you, go create them yourself.
Taking Action
Ready to move toward effective communication with leaders?
Make yourself a plan and work the plan. Take these three steps:
Understand different behavioral styles.
Practice targeted communication.
Put yourself in situations where you interact directly with a leader.
Take a deep breath and then go do it. You’ve got this!
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